


First Christmas Eve

by Chelseylovesllamas



Category: The Walking Dead, Twd - Fandom
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Eve, Glenn and Maggie are Paul’s adoptive parents, Paul and Daryl are kids, kid AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-22
Updated: 2017-12-22
Packaged: 2019-02-18 14:58:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13102602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chelseylovesllamas/pseuds/Chelseylovesllamas
Summary: After a rough night Paul invites Daryl to spend the night at his house on Christmas Eve.





	First Christmas Eve

Paul was put up for adoption at birth. There was no sad story behind it, his biological parents had just been young, one had been 15 and the other 17, with no money and no family to support them. Putting Paul up for adoption had been the best thing they could have done for the child at the time. Paul lived in a group home until he was 3 when he was adopted by Maggie and Glenn Rhee. The couple had been volunteering at the group home when they met Paul and somehow knew it was meant to be. Maybe it was the way Paul and Maggie instantly bonded or the way Glenn couldn’t stop talking about the child and how smart and funny he was. They quickly began to love the child before the adoption was even final. Once Paul moved in with the couple, everything quickly fell into place. They instantly became this perfect little family full of love and joy. 

Now, 3 years later, they were closer than ever. It was Paul’s favorite day of the year, Christmas Eve. He loved the snow, lights, movies, and staying up as late as he could, trying to listen for Santa. They had just gotten home from Maggie’s parents’ house, Glenn couldn’t wait to show Paul how to play the new video game Beth had gotten him later on, but for now it was time to settle down and watch Paul’s favorite Christmas movie. It was getting late after all and it was almost time for Santa to make an appearance. Paul and Glenn made a pile of blankets and pillows on the floor in the living room and turned on elf. Maggie went to go clean up around the house and prepare for all the mess that would be happening the next day, when the Rhees came over to celebrate Christmas, when she noticed a young child was walking alone outside in the show.   
“Is that Daryl Dixon?” she wondered as she walked over to the window. Glenn got up and followed behind her.   
“Uh yea, I think it is,” he said and looked over at Paul.   
Daryl was 7 years old. Paul and Daryl weren’t super close, but they did go to school together and they’d met last Halloween. Daryl had been over a few times since. They were slowly becoming best friends since Daryl had started to let his guard down a bit.   
Paul jumped up and ran to the door, running out to talk to him while Maggie waited in the door way, keeping an eye on him.   
“Hey Daryl wait!” Paul yelled as he ran after him, he forgot his coat so he was shivering already but he somehow remembered to slide on his house shoes before he took off after the other boy. Daryl stopped and turned around, waiting for him to catch up.   
“What are you doing out here? Shouldn’t you be with your parents?” Daryl asked.   
“I could ask you the same thing,” Paul answered. Daryl got a sad look on his face.   
“Nah dad started drinking early and I didn’t want to be there when he gets mad again,” Daryl answered, looking embarrassed.  
Paul thought for a second and excitedly said “well.... you can come to my house, we are watching a movie and waiting for Santa!”   
Daryl wanted to say no, he would feel like he was in the way and he knew Santa wasn’t real anyways, Merle and his dad had ruined that for him years ago, but it was so cold out, he had nowhere else to go, and Paul and his parents were so nice he just couldn’t pass it up.   
“Okay I guess,” Daryl mumbled and they both walked towards the house. 

When they reached the house, Glenn and Maggie were at the door waiting.   
“Mom is it okay if Daryl stays the night? His dad isn’t being very nice tonight.” Daryl shot him a look and looked down while his cheeks got hot, he really wished Paul hadn’t said that. Maggie gave them both a sad smile.   
“Of course dear,” she pointed over to the pile Glenn and Paul had made earlier, “here, y’all settle down here and start the movie over again and I’ll make some hot chocolate.”   
Paul and Daryl quickly covered up, freezing from being outside, while Paul excitedly told Daryl about the movie and how he couldn’t believe Daryl had never seen it before. After a few minutes, Maggie delivered the hot chocolates and they continued to watch the movie. Only a few minutes later, Daryl fell asleep, finally feeling safe and warm for the first time that night, well for the first time in a few days if he was honest with himself. Paul quietly got up so he didn’t wake the sleeping boy and went to go talk to his parents in the kitchen who were cleaning up and quietly whispering. 

“Hey mom...dad...can I ask you something?” Paul asked, causing them to both turn around.   
“Sure,” Glenn said, “come sit down at the table with us”   
They all three sat there for a few seconds before Paul spoke up. “Why is Daryl’s Dad so mean to him? Is it because he’s bad? I can try to talk to him about being better if that would help. Y’all are never that mean to me, why is he so mean all the time?” Paul quickly asked, Maggie could tell all he wanted to do was help the other boy.   
Maggie grabbed the boy’s hand. “No sweetheart, none of this is Daryl’s fault. Not at all. Some grownups are just mad for other reasons but they take it out of their children. Do you understand?” Maggie asked. After thinking for a few seconds, Paul eventually answered “yea I think so”   
“Does he yell at Daryl a lot?” Glenn asked.   
“He does more than yell sometimes, we were wrestling a few days ago and I saw he had big scratches on his back. Kinda like when the mean lady’s cat next door scratched me but they looked way bigger and I asked him what happened but he just left, I thought maybe I did something to make him mad.”   
Glenn and Maggie got serious all of a sudden and looked at each other.  
“Did I say something wrong?” Paul asked getting worried.   
“No no no thank you for telling us, you did the right thing. You are a good friend honey.” Maggie said, trying to reassure him. “Why don’t you go finish the movie and let me and Dad grown up talk for awhile?”   
“Yea, Okay” Paul said starting to walk away but suddenly had a very important question.   
“Wait! How will Santa find Daryl here? Won’t he be sad if Santa doesn’t come?......Uhm I guess I can share my presents with him that Santa brings.” Glenn and Maggie both smiled at how sweet and innocent the child still was.  
“We will find a way to let Santa know where to bring Daryl’s presents,” Glenn said while ruffling his hair, “go lay down now, love you” They both bent down and kissed his forehead and hugged him extra tight that night. 

After Paul left the room to go finish his movie, Glenn looked at Maggie and quietly said, “we have to do something, we can’t let Daryl live like that,” Maggie nodded in agreement   
“I can’t stand him sleeping another night under the same roof as that man,” She added, “I’ll call rick tomorrow and see what he can do, he is the sheriff after all, I’m sure there is something.” She thought for a second. “I know it’s late but will you go see if any stores are open? I would hate for Daryl to not wake up to anything tomorrow after the day he’s had.”   
Glenn kissed her and nodded, “of course I will, I can’t believe how lucky I am to have such a sweet wife and son.”   
Maggie laughed and jokingly said, “damn right you’re lucky, now hurry before everything is gone.”   
Glenn quickly got dressed and went out the back door, not wanting to alarm either of the boys in the living room. After Maggie was done cleaning up, she went to the living room to check on the children. They were both sound asleep right next to each other. The movie was off by now so the only thing lighting up the room was the lights from the Christmas tree in the corner. They both looked so innocent and sweet, Maggie couldn’t help but wish they would stay like that forever.

It would be her personal mission from now on to help that boy and if anyone knew her, they knew she would be the one to get it done no matter what.


End file.
